CENTRE COUNTY — As the 2023-24 school year comes to a close, some of Centre County’s top performers have put pen to paper and signed on to take the next step in their athletic journeys.
Here’s an overview of the graduates who’ll be competing in college athletics in the near future.
Bald Eagle Area High School
Gavin Burns — Lycoming College — Football
Kaden Burns — Lock Haven University — Football
Kahale Burns — Mansfield University of Pennsylvania — Baseball
Eric Clark — Navy — Football
Alex Lefebvre — Lock Haven University — Football
Camron Watkins — Virginia Military Institute — Football
Nick Wible — Juniata College — Football
Tayten Yoder — Lock Haven University — Baseball
Bald Eagle Area football enjoyed a fruitful 12-2 season in 2023, pitching four shutouts and winning 11 games by double digits before falling to Southern Columbia, which went on to win its seventh straight PIAA Class 2A title.
Bald Eagle’s baseball team found similar success by qualifying for the PIAA Class 2A tournament, where they won their first-round matchup on Monday, June 3.
Between Burns’ .447 batting average and Yoder’s efforts both at the plate and on the mound, the two seniors made sure to leave their mark on the school’s strong campaign.
Bellefonte Area High School
Ashley Aukerman — Lock Haven University — Cross Country and Track and Field
Sienna Barnhart — Penn State Dubois —Softball
Jeffrey Barnyak — Penn State University — Cheerleading
Isaak Bloom — Juniata College — Golf
Trevor Johnson — Duke University — Baseball
Braedyn Kormanic — Delaware Valley University — Baseball
Mackenzie Mamolen — Juniata College — Soccer
Kiaha McCool — Texas Christian University — Swimming
Katelyn Packer — University of Rochester — Swimming
Carlee Pepperman — Allegheny College — Volleyball
Bellefonte Area had 10 athletes sign to continue their careers at the collegiate level, including two sets of teammates. Sluggers Trevor Johnson and Braedyn Kormanic will remain on the diamond at Duke and Delaware Valley respectively.
Johnson dominated by accumulating a .604 batting average while only striking out three times across 21 contests. Kormanic excelled as both a batter and hitter, posting both a .471 average and a 2.68 ERA across 34 innings pitched.
Kiaha McCool and Katelyn Packer will also continue their careers. McCool is currently Swimcloud’s 18th-ranked competitor in Pennsylvania, and last month placed first in the 100-meter backstroke. Packer also recently found success, placing ninth in the 200-meter fly during the International Swim Coaches Association recent International Senior Cup in St. Petersburg, Florida.
These four, along with their fellow graduating classmates, will all look to continue finding success once their debut collegiate seasons get underway.
Penns Valley Area High School
Ayva Fetterolf — Geneva College — Cross Country and Track and Field
Chamiqua Gentzel — Lock Haven University — Track and Field
Ella Hadley — Penn State Altoona — Volleyball
Danin Kerstetter — Alvernia University — Football
McClain Reamer — Juniata College — Cross Country and Track and Field
Abby Stitzer — Penn West Clarion — Soccer
Jarrett Stover — Penn State DuBois — Baseball
Ty Watson — Penn State — Wrestling
Matthew Wheeland — Penn College — Cross Country and Track and Field
Another school with a large number of signees is Penns Valley Area, as nine students will continue their careers across seven sports.
Three cross country and track and field athletes lead the way, as javelin thrower Chamiqua Gentzel and cross country and distance runners Ayva Fetterolf and Matthew Wheeland will all go on and continue their careers.
Additionally, Ty Watson, Jarrett Stover and Ella Hadley will each become Nittany Lions across three different campuses. Watson in particular could be in store for a memorable college run, as he’ll be joining a program helmed by 11-time national champion Cael Sanderson.
Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School
Madeline Bainey — Juniata College — Golf
Marcus Gable — Millersville University — Wrestling
Reece Hazelton — Indiana University — Volleyball
Hayden Kephart — Juniata College – Baseball
Philipsburg-Osceola will send two athletes to Juniata, which has proven a popular landing spot for Centre County athletes. Additionally, Gable will head to Millersville after posting a career 120-37 record during his four high school seasons. He placed seventh in Class 2A as a senior this past season.
Finally, Hazelton is Big Ten-bound and will compete against Penn State at Indiana. The four-time all-state selection graduated a semester early and is already in Bloomington practicing with her new teammates.
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy
Aaron Kwock — Franklin & Marshall College — Tennis
Elliot Lingle — Juniata College — Golf
Colin Simander — Lock Haven University — Track and Field
Saint Joseph’s three college signees all come from different sports. Simander stood out in high school after a productive career that culminated in him reaching the PIAA state championship in the 800 meter.
Kwock will head southeast to Franklin & Marshall College after finishing his high school career as the nation’s 618th ranked recruit by TennisRecruiting.net.
State College Area High School announced their collegiate signings in a ceremony on Wednesday, June 5, after The Centre County Gazette’s printing deadline.
